Northern Nigeria hit by worsening malnutrition crisis, 652 children dead in Katsina – MSF

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has raised the alarm over a deepening malnutrition crisis in northern Nigeria, warning of a rising number of child deaths, particularly in Katsina State.

In a statement issued on Friday, MSF’s Field Communication Officer, Abdulkareem Yakubu, disclosed that the organisation has witnessed a surge in cases of severe malnutrition and higher mortality rates at its therapeutic feeding centres across Katsina, where it has been active since 2021.

“By the end of June 2025, nearly 70,000 malnourished children had already received medical care from our teams in Katsina State, including nearly 10,000 who were hospitalised in critical condition,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, 652 children have died in our facilities this year due to delayed access to care.”

MSF reported that cases of nutritional oedema—the most severe and deadly form of malnutrition—have risen by 208 per cent between January and June 2025, compared with the same period in 2024. The situation is compounded by widespread poverty, disease outbreaks, insecurity, and low access to healthcare.

Earlier this week, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that it would suspend all emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in northeast Nigeria by the end of July, citing “critical funding shortfalls.”

A food security survey conducted in Kaita Local Government Area of Katsina before the 2025 lean season revealed that over 90 per cent of households had reduced their daily meals.

MSF warned that malnutrition is no longer confined to children. A July screening of 750 mothers in five of its Katsina malnutrition centres revealed that more than half of the women were acutely malnourished, with 13 per cent suffering severe acute malnutrition.

“A worrying sign of the growing severity of this public health emergency is that adults—particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women—are now also affected,” the statement added.

To address the crisis, MSF, in collaboration with local authorities, has begun distributing nutritional supplements to 66,000 children in Mashi Local Government Area. It has also expanded healthcare capacity by opening a new Ambulatory Therapeutic Feeding Centre in Mashi and an additional Inpatient Centre in Turai, bringing the total bed capacity in Katsina to 900.

MSF’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Ahmed Aldikhari, noted that 2024 marked “a turning point” in northern Nigeria’s malnutrition crisis, with cases rising 25 per cent over the previous year. He blamed the worsening situation on massive international funding cuts, particularly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

“The true scale of the crisis exceeds all predictions,” Aldikhari said. “We are seeing ever-increasing needs, especially in Katsina, where many families can no longer afford food, even when it is available in the markets.”

Emmanuel Berbain, MSF’s nutrition referent, stressed that the quickest way to save lives is to ensure families have direct access to food through large-scale distributions of food or nutritional supplements, or through cash transfers where feasible.

He called for the expansion of treatment capacity for malnourished children, including increased funding for health facilities and access to Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). He also urged that malnutrition prevention programmes be extended to people over the age of five, who are increasingly affected but often excluded from aid schemes.

Vice President Kashim Shettima recently described malnutrition as a “national emergency,” warning that it robs nearly 40 per cent of Nigerian children under the age of five of their full physical and cognitive potential.

MSF revealed that in 2024, it treated over 300,000 malnourished children across seven northern states—a 25 per cent increase from 2023. In the northwest states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, and Zamfara alone, nearly 100,000 children received treatment for severe and moderate acute malnutrition in outpatient centres during the first half of 2025, while 25,000 were hospitalised.